15 out of 15, that is RSC Anderlecht’s balance sheet in the Jupiler Pro League after tonight. On the seventeenth matchday, the Purple & White won 1-2 on the field of Sporting Lokeren, although both teams could have scored more goals. Coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck carried through five substitutions in comparison to last Wednesday’s Cup match. Leander Dendoncker was on the bench for the first time this season, Sven Kums and Pieter Gerkens started in midfield. Defenders Olivier Deschacht and Josué Sá were in the starting line-up, in the front Lukasz Teodorczyk was back after having been suspended.
The Purple & White were threatened by a free kick by Michel early on, his attempt hit the crossbar and went long. Afterwards, the home team had to brace themselves when RSCA found the right rhythm. Sá intervened on a dangerous counter by Lokeren after some fifteen minutes of play, and somewhat later on the goal went in on the other side. Dennis Appiah passed the ball to Pieter Gerkens, who scored his third goal of the season. Ten minutes later on, the Purple & White took a goal. De Sutter went down after contact with Appiah in the box, Ari Skulason scored the penalty. Lokeren took over control, but De Ridder and De Sutter were not able to finish off the chances. At half-time, RSCA against Sporting Lokeren: 1-1.
After ten minutes in the second half, Anderlecht took the lead again. Hanni passed the ball back to Henry Onyekuru with the header, he scored the 1-2, despite discussions about offside or not (which was not the case, seeing that Rassoul was part of the phase outside of the lines). The Purple & White controlled the game, but Lokeren did try to push through as well. Only in the final stages of the game, the match came alive again. A shot by Söder went wide and Trebel, Gerkens and Onyekuru also took a shot. But no more goals were scored at Daknam, as a result of which RSCA took home three points for the fifth away match in a row!
Goals: 17' Pieter Gerkens (0-1), 28' Ari Skulason (1-1, pen) & 52' Henry Onyekuru
RSCA: Matz Sels, Josué Sá, Kara Mbodji, Olivier Deschacht, Dennis Appiah, Sven Kums, Adrien Trebel, Sofiane Hanni (78' Leander Dendoncker), Pieter Gerkens, Henry Onyekuru & Lukasz Teodorczyk (80' Hamdi Harbaoui)
